Railway car threshold plate



Oct. 27, 1942. HsO 2,299,968

RAILWAY CAR THRESHOLD PLATE Filed Feb. 3, 1941 Patented Oct. 27, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAILWAY OAR THRESHOLD PLATE William.F. Dietrichson, Berwick, Pa.

Application February 3, 1941, Serial No. 377,197

Claims.

This invention relates to threshold plates in general and in particular to threshold plates for use in railway car door openings;

Threshold'plates in the past have been fastened down to the floor by means of screws, countersunk rivets and plow bolts or countersunk head bolts, but regardless of the type of fastening they have always extended completely through the threshold plate and accordingly provided openings through which moisture could enter causing corrosion of the fastening means and in many cases rotting the floor beneath the threshold. Also with previous fastening means whenever such fastening means became loose there was always danger of tearing packages slid out of the car across the threshold. In many caseswhere packages were bound with thin metal strapsthese straps would catch upon the loose fastening means or threshold plate and break, thus opening the package. It isan object, therefore, of the present invention to provide a threshold plate having an absolutely smooth upper surface and held in place by fastening means located wholly beneath and concealed by the threshold plate.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a threshold plate which may be locked or anchored to the car structure by sliding the same inwardly of the door opening.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a threshold plate which may be locked or anchored in position by concealed means which will reinforce and support the threshold plate.

These and other objects will be apparent to persons skilled in the art' from a study of the following description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view taken through one portion of the car and disclosing the improved threshold arrangement;

Fig. 2 is aplan view of the improved threshold in position between'thedoor posts;

Fig 3 is a sectionalview taken substantially on line 33,of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional, view, of the, improved threshold and disclosing the manner in which the threshold is applied;

Fig. 5 is-a sectional view of the threshold but disclosing aslightly modified form;

Fig. 6is a plan view of a portion of the thresholdshown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 5 but showing .a slight: modification thereof, and

Fig. 81s a sectional view disclosing a still further modified form of threshold plate arrangement.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that the threshold plate has been shown as applied to a railway car having channel form side sills 2, sill reinforcing and floor support member 4 upon which the floor 6 rests. The car is provided with customary side wall sheets 8 attached to the side sill and to door posts It] as well as to side plate l2 which will in turn support the roof (not shown). The side wall sheets are not present between the door posts and this opening is closed by any suitable form of door D guided at its upper edge by guides and weather seals I4 and supported at its lower edge upon antifriction devices l6 which in turn rest upon a track l8 carried by the side sills through brackets 20. It will, of course, be obvious that various forms of structural members making up the car structure may be used and the forms disclosed have been used merely for purposes of representing a typical car structure.

As is customary in the majority of recent car construction, a threshold angle 22 is fastened to the sill reinforcing member 4 and has one flange thereof directed outwardly from the door opening. It is, of course, obvious that this may be attached as shown by rivets or welded to the reinforcing member or formed integral therewith during rolling of the reinforcing member.

The threshold plate shown in Figs.'1 to 4 inclusive comprises a fiat imperforate plate 26 having the outer edge thereof bent downwardly and inwardly as at 28 to. form a downwardly hooked portion which may be anchored or interlocked with the upwardly directed flange of the threshold angle. On the under surface of the threshold plate adjacent its inner edge is attached a crimped metal reinforcingand supporting member 30'which'is formed with parts 32 spot welded or otherwise secured to the under surface of the plate, while other parts 34 are spaced below the plate lower surface and joined to the parts 32 by inclined portions 36. As clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the spaced portions 34 are adapted to rest upon the upper surface 38 of a cut out portion of the car floor. Certain of the spaced parts 34 are provided with open ended slots 40 adapted to engage the square shank of a carriage bolt or other type fastening 42 which extends through the floor and through a flange of the side sill. When the threshold plate together with its reinforcing and supporting means is in position and anchored to the car structure by. the fastening means and by the interlocking of the outer edge with the threshold angle, then outward movement of the threshold plate may be prevented in any suitable manner, such as tack welding of the plate to the door posts as at W (Fig. 2). This welding will not only hold the threshold plate in position from being shifted outwardly of the car but will also seal the joint and prevent entrance of moisture.

In assembling the threshold plate the formed plate, together with its attached reinforcing and supporting means, will be brought to the car which has the parts attached as shown and explained and with the floor cut out as shown with the fastening bolts or other means in a loose condition raised slightly from their final position. The threshold plate assembly may then be placed in the position shown by full lines in Fig. 4, after which an inward sliding movement accompanied with a downward swinging will bring the assembly to the position shown by line and dash outline in Fig. 4. In this position the threshold plate is interlocked or anchored at its outer edge with the outwardly directed flange of the threshold angle. Tightening of the nuts on the fastening means will clamp the reinforcing means upon the floor ends and prevent any lifting of the inner edge of the threshold plate and the parts will then be in the position as clearly shown in Figure 1. After the threshold plate is in final position any outward movement is prevented by the tack welding of the plate to the door posts. Thus it will be seen that if certain of the fastening means for the threshold plate should become loosened no damage to packages could occur since the fastening means are wholly concealed beneath the threshold plate. Furthermore, it will be seen that the supporting and reinforcing means will assist in preventing distortion of the inner edge of the threshold plate by rolling of heavy hand trucks thereacross.

In the slight modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6 the car construction is identical with that shown in Figs. 1 to 4 and accordingly like numerals have been applied. Likewise, the threshold plate is also similar to that shown in Figs. 1 to 4 and is accordingly identified by the same numerals. The modification in this form consists in a modification of the threshold reinforcing and supporting means. In this form a channel is provided having upwardly directed flanges 50 welded or otherwise attached to the under surface of the threshold plate and having the web 52 spaced downwardly below the under surface of the threshold plate and in direct contact with the upper surface of the cut out portions of the floor. In order to receive the fastening means or bolts a comparatively wide slot 54 is cut in one of the channel flanges in order that the head of the fastening means may pass therethrough, while a comparatively narrow slot 56 is cut in the web in order to receive the squared shank of the fastening means. In this form the threshold plate may, after being placed in assembled position, be welded as was described in connection with Fig. 2 or outward movement may be prevented by a countersunk carriage or plow bolt 58 (Fig. 6) located adjacent the door posts and hence out of the road of hand trucks or sliding packages. This bolt extends downwardly through the flooring and through a flange of the sill and will accordingly prevent outward movement of the threshold plate as well as preventing any upward movement of the ends of the threshold plate.

In some cases it may be desirable for the threshold plate inner edge to overlap the floor and such an arrangement is shown in Fig. 7 wherein the inner edge 60 of the threshold plate overlaps the end portions of the upper surface of the floor. The remainder of the structure shown in Fig. 7 is identical with that shown and described in connection with Figs. 5 and 6 and accordingly the same reference numerals have been applied wherever possible.

In certain new and repair constructions it is not feasible to use the threshold angle previously referred to and in such cases the threshold plate may be formed as shown in Fig. 8. In this form the outer portion of the threshold plate is directed downwardly and inwardly as at 10, terminating in a vertically directed portion 12 which may be directly fastened to the side sill by a few rivets or other means 74. The floor is cut away exactly as previously described in order to receive the threshold reinforcing and supporting means which, since it has been shown as of the type described in connection with Fig. 1, has been indicated by the same numerals. In the form shown in Fig. 8 the inner edge of the threshold plate is shown as overlapping the flooring upper surface but it is, of course, obvious that this threshold plate could assume the same position as that shown in Fig. 1 in which the upper surface of the threshold plate and floor are flush.

It will be obvious to persons skilled in the art that various modifications and rearrangements of parts other than those shown and described may be made and all such modifications and rearrangements of parts are contemplated as will fall within the scope of the appended claims which define my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a railway car having a floor supported on side sills and a side wall with a door opening therein defined by door posts, the combination of a threshold angle secured to one of the side sills in the door opening and having a flange directed outwardly of the opening, a threshold plate located in the door opening and having interlocking engagement at its outer edge with said threshold angle, reinforcing means secured to the threshold plate and reinforcing and supporting the inner edge thereof, and fastening means connecting said reinforcing means and sill, said fastening means being located wholly beneath the threshold plate and concealed thereby.

2. In a railway car having a floor supported on side sills and a side wall with a door opening therein defined by door posts, the combination of a threshold angle secured to one of the side sills in the door opening and having a flange directed outwardly of the opening, a threshold plate located in the door opening and having interlocking engagement at its outer edge with said threshold angle, crimped metal reinforcing means having parts thereof secured to the under surface of the threshold plate and other parts spaced therefrom and resting on floor portions to thereby reinforce and support the inneredge of the threshold plate, and fastening means located wholly beneath the threshold plate and engaging said other parts and clamping the reinforcing means upon the floor portions.

3. In a railway car having a floor supported on side sills and a side wall with a door opening therein defined by door posts, the combination of a threshold angle secured to one of the side sills in the door opening and having a-flange directed outwardly of the opening, a threshold plate located in the door opening and having interlocking engagement at its outer edge with said threshold angle, crimped metal reinforcing means having parts thereof secured to the under surface of the threshold plate and other parts spaced therefrom and resting on floor portions to thereby reinforce and support the inner edge of the threshold plate, and fastening means located wholly beneath the threshold plate and engaging said other parts and clamping the reinforcing means upon the floor portions, said reinforcing means being slotted whereby said threshold plate may be slid into the door opening and into engagement with said fastening means and also into engagement with said threshold angle to be held down by said threshold angle and fastening means.

4. In a railway car having a floor supported on side sills and a side wall with a door opening therein defined by door posts, the combination of a threshold angle secured to one of the side sills in the door opening and having a flange derected outwardly of the opening, a threshold plate located in the door opening and having interlocking engagement at its outer edge with said threshold plate, channel form reinforcing means having upwardly directed flanges secured to the under surface of the threshold plate and having the web spaced therefrom and resting on floor portions to thereby reinforce and support the inner edge of the threshold plate, and fastening means located wholly beneath the threshold plate and engaging the web of said reinforcing means and clampingthe same upon the floor portions.

5. In a railway car having a floor supported on side sills and a side wall with a door opening therein defined by door posts, the combination of a threshold plate located between the door posts and anchored at its outer edge to one of the side sills, reinforcing and supporting means carried by the inner edge of the threshold plate, and fastening means engaging said reinforcing and supporting means to anchor the inner edge of the threshold plate to the sill, said fastening means being located wholly beneath and concealed by said threshold plate.

6. As an article of manufacture, a railway car threshold plate having a hooked outer portion adapted to slidably engage and interlock with a part of the car structure, and a slotted inner portion located beneath the plane of the threshold plate and adapted to engage fastening means located wholly beneath the plane through the lower surface of the plate.

'7. As an article of manufacture, a threshold plate having a downwardly and inwardly directed hooked outer edge adapted to interlock with a part of the structure supporting the threshold plate, and a member secured to the underside of said plate adjacent the inner edge thereof and adapted to receive fastening means located wholly beneath the lower surface of the plate.

8. As an article of manufacture, a threshold plate having a downwardly and inwardly directed hooked outer edge adapted to interlock with a part of the structure supporting the threshold plate, and a member secured to the underside of said plate adjacent the inner edge thereof, said member being formed with inwardly opening slots spaced below the lower surface of said plate and adapted to engage fastening means located wholly beneath the threshold plate.

9. As an article of manufacture, a threshold plate having a downwardly and inwardly directed hooked outer edge, and a member secured to the underside of said plate adjacent the inner edge thereof, said member being of channel form with the flanges secured to the plate and having portions of at least one flange and the web adjacent thereto removed to provide slots.

10. As an article of manufacture, a threshold plate having a downwardly and inwardly directed hooked outer edge, and a crimped metal member having parts secured to the underside of the plate adjacent the inner edge thereof and other parts spaced below the lower surface of the plate, certain of said other parts having slots formed therein to receive fastening means located wholly beneath the threshold plate.

WILLIAM F. DIETRICHSON. 

